Friday, September 02, 2016

Omega European Masters in Switzerland

Langasque shoots a 63 to share lead with

Bland and Green at halfway

FROM THE EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITERomain Langasque insisted he was not
felling any pressure after firing a brilliant seven-under-par 63 to take a share of the
second-round lead on nine-under-par 131 at the Omega European Masters.The 21 year old Frenchman is playing in just his fifth European Tour
event at Crans-sur-Sierre Golf Club and was a small child when
co-leaders Richard Bland and Richard Green began their careers on Tour.The 2015 British amateur championship winner looked very much at home in the
Alps, however, and after making an eagle and five birdies in the
morning, it looked like he would lead on his own into the weekend
before a brilliant late charge from Bland and Green.Englishman Bland had a birdie-birdie-birdie finish for a 64 to join Langasque on 131 before another hat-trick of birdies from Green from the
13th catapulted the Australian into double figures, although he dropped a
shot on the 17th and finished with a 66 for nine-under 131.Green is playing a remarkable 18th consecutive season on the European
Tour and is looking for his third win having last tasted victory at the
2010 Portugal Masters.Bland has 392 European Tour starts to his name as he seeks a first
win but Langasque - who currently leads the standings on the Challenge
Tour - is not fazed by the company he is keeping."I'm quite sure I will be on the European Tour next year so I play
without pressure," he said. "If I play well that's cool and if I play
badly then it is no problem. I have nothing to lose. I have no pressure
and maybe that's why I can play well."My hopes for the weekend? Win. I will try my best to win. Most important is to have fun all the time."He added: "I'm really happy about this round. My driving and putting
was really, really good. It is good to play well on this course. I
enjoyed my round."An eagle on the par five 14th sandwiched birdies on the 11th and 17th
as Langasque turned in 31. A glorious approach to six feet on the fifth
moved him ahead on his own before further gains on the drivable seventh
and the par five ninth.
Bland opened his round with a bogey on the tenth but made gains on the 17th, 18th, second and fifth before his big finish.
Green was a picture of consistency with birdies on the fourth, eighth,
13th, 14th and 15th before he made his only bogey of the day on the
penultimate hole.Swede Alex Noren, Australia's Scott Hend and Canadian Richard T Lee were
a shot behind the leaders, with Noren having joined Langasque with a
63.
The 34 year old Swede made birdies on the 11th, 13th, 14th, first, fifth,
seventh and ninth - the highlight being a 20-foot putt on the fifth.
Lee recovered from three early bogeys by making five birdies in a row
from the seventh and adding an eagle and a birdie on the 14th and 15th.
Hend made five birdies and a bogey, using his distance to take advantage of all three par fives for the second day in a row.
Spain's Alejandro Cañizares, Denmark's Joachim B Hansen, Finn Mikko
Ilonen, England's Andrew Johnston and Frenchman Julien Quesne were then
at seven under, with 30 players within five shots of the lead.